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Daily Sabah, Turkey
Nov 1 2014
TURKEY REPEATS CALL FOR EXPERT HELP TO ANALYZE EVENTS OF 1915
Ahead the 1915 centennial, both Turkish-Armenian communities as well
as the government maintains hopes that Armenia will assist improving
ties by letting experts decide on the tragic events that happened a
century ago
by AyÅ?e Å?ahin
ISTANBUL ' As the centennial of the 1915 events approaches, the
Armenian diaspora stepped up its efforts to convince the world to
label the incidents as "genocide" despite serious opposition from
Turkey. On the other hand, Turkey increases efforts to improve
relations with Armenia while it reiterates that the issue should be
analyzed by historians, geologists and other experts.
Turkish-Armenian relations have remained strained for decades due to
Armenia's constant demand for Turkey to officially accept the Armenian
claims of "genocide." Tensions peaked in 1993 when Turkey closed its
borders with Armenia in reaction to the war in Nagarno-Karabakh and in
support of its close ally Azerbaijan.
Nevertheless, earlier this year, President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an made
attempts to thaw the tensions between the two countries by issuing a
message ahead of the 99th anniversary of the 1915 incidents. In an
unprecedented move, then prime minister ErdoÄ?an extended condolences
to the grandchildren of the Armenians who lost their lives in the 1915
events.
Both Armenian society and international circles have hailed the
message, which read, "It is a duty of humanity to acknowledge that
Armenians remember the suffering experienced in that period, just like
every other citizen of the Ottoman Empire."
Speaking to Daily Sabah, Turkish Armenian intellectual Markar Esayan
suggested that there are various ways to enhance ties between the two
countries, but patience is needed for the ultimate resolution to be
reached since the issue has become increasingly complex following 100
years of apathy. He suggests that there are two "channels" for Turkey
to reach a resolution, one being the official (governmental) channel,
and the other the civilian channel.
The matter is less likely to be tackled lightly in the official
channel, Esayan claims, as the matter has become "over-politicized,"
both in Armenia and within international circles.
"ErdoÄ?an's message was a significant step towards easing the matter,
but it is far from satisfactory in the official platform.
Nevertheless, he has won the appreciation of civilian society, which
should not be overlooked."
Esayan suggests that ErdoÄ?an's move has resulted in relief within
Armenian society and, if repeated, could extend to the official
channel as well. ErdoÄ?an's attempt to heal relations between both
countries was preceded by Abdullah Gül's visit to Armenia during his
presidency. Gül attended the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier match in
Armenia upon Sargsyan's invitation in 2008, which was followed by
Sargsyan's reciprocal visit to Turkey to watch the return game the
following year.
In addition, during this period of football diplomacy, the two
countries' then foreign ministers, Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu and Eduard
Nalbandyan, signed protocols to establish diplomatic ties between
their respective countries in 2009 in Switzerland. Mediated by the
U.S., the protocol had presupposed the opening of the border between
Turkey and Armenia. However, the process ended before the Armenian
National Assembly approved the protocol conditions. Although these
attempts deserve credit for normalizing ties between the two
countries, this progress is now obscuring the lack of agreement over
the term "genocide."
Turkey, the successor state of the Ottoman Empire, denies that the
word genocide is an accurate term for the 1915 incidents. Turkey
argues that genocide did not occur, asserting that the death toll has
been inflated, ethnic violence also killed Turks and the Ottoman
government did not "intend" to exterminate Armenians while relocating
them. Esayan notes that since the current ruling party does not see
itself as the successor to the Committee of Union and Progress, whose
leadership is claimed to be responsible for the alleged killings, it
can act more confidently in expressing thoughts on the events of 1915
compared to previous Turkish governments.
"The ruling party considers the committee and its successors as
'Kemalists,' who deviated from the Ottoman's multicultural nature
because their mentality allowed the violation of religious people and
minorities' rights. Religious people and Armenians are equivalent in
this scenario," Esayan said.
Etyen Mahçupyan, an Armenian intellectual and journalist, told Daily
Sabah that clear definition of the incident can solve the crisis. He
suggests that the parties could agree to a milder definition of the
term instead of the one determined by the United Nations General
Assembly on Dec. 9, 1948.
DavutoÄ?lu, the current prime minister, previously expressed discontent
over the definition of genocide, suggesting that he could not accept
genocide claims if the ancestors' genocide is stigmatized alongside
the Holocaust, as one of the two major massacres of the 20th century.
"Genocide is a term that sounds different to both countries. If the
two countries pledge a common and more general definition of genocide
instead of singularizing it, density will be lifted from the word,
which eventually will lead to relief on the part of both countries,"
Mahçupyan said. He even suggested a joint declaration be issued in
which Turkey accepts the large number of deaths that took place in
1915, and Armenia, in a forgiving tone, admits that such massacres
have always taken place in the history of people of every religion.
Another issue that would come as a relief to Armenian society will be
compensation for the losses. Officially accepting the incidents as
genocide would mean having to pay a large amount of compensation to
the relatives of the victims under international law.
Mahçupyan thinks compensation should address Armenian heritage instead
of individuals. "The souls of the Armenian people would be healed if a
great deal of the heritage is preserved by the Turkish government, be
it under the name of compensation or solely as a move to repair ties
with the Armenian people. If the government funds the restoration,
reconstruction and brings into use Armenian cultural heritage, which
dates back to the early ages of the Ottoman Empire, relations between
the two countries will undoubtedly be strengthened," Mahçupyan said.
So far, various real properties have been returned to Armenian
foundations by the Turkish government in a bid to normalize relations.
For instance, the Beykoz Armenian graveyard has been returned to the
Beykoz Surp Nigogayos Armenian Church Foundation, and the land that
previously belonged to the Kuzguncuk Surp Krikor Lusavoric Armenian
Church has been returned. Moreover, the Beziyen Armenian School has
been recognized as the property of the Kartal Surp Armenian Church
Foundation.
In addition, part of the Büyükdere Armenian Graveyard, which
previously belonged to Apostolic Armenians, has been returned to the
Büyükdere Surp Hıripsimyants Armenian Church Foundation. Also, an old
graveyard in Sarıyer has been returned to the Yeniköy Kud Dido
Asdvadzadzni Armenian Church Foundation and 42,259 square-meters of
land has been returned to the Yedikule Surp Pirgic Armenian Hospital
Foundation. Furthermore, the Armenian Catholic graveyard has been
returned to the ElmadaÄ? Surp Armenian Hospital Foundation, the private
YeÅ?ilköy Armenian Primary School has been returned to the YeÅ?ilköy
Istepanos Armenian Church School and Graveyard foundation and the
Bomonti Armenian Mihitaryan Primary School has been returned to the
BeyoÄ?lu Surp Gazar Armenian Catholic Mihitaryan School and Convent
Foundation.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Aram AteÅ?yan, the deputy patriarch of the
Armenian Patriarchate based in Istanbul, politely refused to deliver
an opinion to Daily Sabah, while noting that he hoped the wounds will
be healed. "Much to my regret, I must inform you that neither the
patriarchate nor the related foundations make comments on the 1915
incidents. I express sorrow on not being able to lend assistance," he
said in a statement.
http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2014/11/01/turkey-repeats-call-for-expert-help-to-analyze-events-of-1915
From: A. Papazian
Nov 1 2014
TURKEY REPEATS CALL FOR EXPERT HELP TO ANALYZE EVENTS OF 1915
Ahead the 1915 centennial, both Turkish-Armenian communities as well
as the government maintains hopes that Armenia will assist improving
ties by letting experts decide on the tragic events that happened a
century ago
by AyÅ?e Å?ahin
ISTANBUL ' As the centennial of the 1915 events approaches, the
Armenian diaspora stepped up its efforts to convince the world to
label the incidents as "genocide" despite serious opposition from
Turkey. On the other hand, Turkey increases efforts to improve
relations with Armenia while it reiterates that the issue should be
analyzed by historians, geologists and other experts.
Turkish-Armenian relations have remained strained for decades due to
Armenia's constant demand for Turkey to officially accept the Armenian
claims of "genocide." Tensions peaked in 1993 when Turkey closed its
borders with Armenia in reaction to the war in Nagarno-Karabakh and in
support of its close ally Azerbaijan.
Nevertheless, earlier this year, President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄ?an made
attempts to thaw the tensions between the two countries by issuing a
message ahead of the 99th anniversary of the 1915 incidents. In an
unprecedented move, then prime minister ErdoÄ?an extended condolences
to the grandchildren of the Armenians who lost their lives in the 1915
events.
Both Armenian society and international circles have hailed the
message, which read, "It is a duty of humanity to acknowledge that
Armenians remember the suffering experienced in that period, just like
every other citizen of the Ottoman Empire."
Speaking to Daily Sabah, Turkish Armenian intellectual Markar Esayan
suggested that there are various ways to enhance ties between the two
countries, but patience is needed for the ultimate resolution to be
reached since the issue has become increasingly complex following 100
years of apathy. He suggests that there are two "channels" for Turkey
to reach a resolution, one being the official (governmental) channel,
and the other the civilian channel.
The matter is less likely to be tackled lightly in the official
channel, Esayan claims, as the matter has become "over-politicized,"
both in Armenia and within international circles.
"ErdoÄ?an's message was a significant step towards easing the matter,
but it is far from satisfactory in the official platform.
Nevertheless, he has won the appreciation of civilian society, which
should not be overlooked."
Esayan suggests that ErdoÄ?an's move has resulted in relief within
Armenian society and, if repeated, could extend to the official
channel as well. ErdoÄ?an's attempt to heal relations between both
countries was preceded by Abdullah Gül's visit to Armenia during his
presidency. Gül attended the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier match in
Armenia upon Sargsyan's invitation in 2008, which was followed by
Sargsyan's reciprocal visit to Turkey to watch the return game the
following year.
In addition, during this period of football diplomacy, the two
countries' then foreign ministers, Ahmet DavutoÄ?lu and Eduard
Nalbandyan, signed protocols to establish diplomatic ties between
their respective countries in 2009 in Switzerland. Mediated by the
U.S., the protocol had presupposed the opening of the border between
Turkey and Armenia. However, the process ended before the Armenian
National Assembly approved the protocol conditions. Although these
attempts deserve credit for normalizing ties between the two
countries, this progress is now obscuring the lack of agreement over
the term "genocide."
Turkey, the successor state of the Ottoman Empire, denies that the
word genocide is an accurate term for the 1915 incidents. Turkey
argues that genocide did not occur, asserting that the death toll has
been inflated, ethnic violence also killed Turks and the Ottoman
government did not "intend" to exterminate Armenians while relocating
them. Esayan notes that since the current ruling party does not see
itself as the successor to the Committee of Union and Progress, whose
leadership is claimed to be responsible for the alleged killings, it
can act more confidently in expressing thoughts on the events of 1915
compared to previous Turkish governments.
"The ruling party considers the committee and its successors as
'Kemalists,' who deviated from the Ottoman's multicultural nature
because their mentality allowed the violation of religious people and
minorities' rights. Religious people and Armenians are equivalent in
this scenario," Esayan said.
Etyen Mahçupyan, an Armenian intellectual and journalist, told Daily
Sabah that clear definition of the incident can solve the crisis. He
suggests that the parties could agree to a milder definition of the
term instead of the one determined by the United Nations General
Assembly on Dec. 9, 1948.
DavutoÄ?lu, the current prime minister, previously expressed discontent
over the definition of genocide, suggesting that he could not accept
genocide claims if the ancestors' genocide is stigmatized alongside
the Holocaust, as one of the two major massacres of the 20th century.
"Genocide is a term that sounds different to both countries. If the
two countries pledge a common and more general definition of genocide
instead of singularizing it, density will be lifted from the word,
which eventually will lead to relief on the part of both countries,"
Mahçupyan said. He even suggested a joint declaration be issued in
which Turkey accepts the large number of deaths that took place in
1915, and Armenia, in a forgiving tone, admits that such massacres
have always taken place in the history of people of every religion.
Another issue that would come as a relief to Armenian society will be
compensation for the losses. Officially accepting the incidents as
genocide would mean having to pay a large amount of compensation to
the relatives of the victims under international law.
Mahçupyan thinks compensation should address Armenian heritage instead
of individuals. "The souls of the Armenian people would be healed if a
great deal of the heritage is preserved by the Turkish government, be
it under the name of compensation or solely as a move to repair ties
with the Armenian people. If the government funds the restoration,
reconstruction and brings into use Armenian cultural heritage, which
dates back to the early ages of the Ottoman Empire, relations between
the two countries will undoubtedly be strengthened," Mahçupyan said.
So far, various real properties have been returned to Armenian
foundations by the Turkish government in a bid to normalize relations.
For instance, the Beykoz Armenian graveyard has been returned to the
Beykoz Surp Nigogayos Armenian Church Foundation, and the land that
previously belonged to the Kuzguncuk Surp Krikor Lusavoric Armenian
Church has been returned. Moreover, the Beziyen Armenian School has
been recognized as the property of the Kartal Surp Armenian Church
Foundation.
In addition, part of the Büyükdere Armenian Graveyard, which
previously belonged to Apostolic Armenians, has been returned to the
Büyükdere Surp Hıripsimyants Armenian Church Foundation. Also, an old
graveyard in Sarıyer has been returned to the Yeniköy Kud Dido
Asdvadzadzni Armenian Church Foundation and 42,259 square-meters of
land has been returned to the Yedikule Surp Pirgic Armenian Hospital
Foundation. Furthermore, the Armenian Catholic graveyard has been
returned to the ElmadaÄ? Surp Armenian Hospital Foundation, the private
YeÅ?ilköy Armenian Primary School has been returned to the YeÅ?ilköy
Istepanos Armenian Church School and Graveyard foundation and the
Bomonti Armenian Mihitaryan Primary School has been returned to the
BeyoÄ?lu Surp Gazar Armenian Catholic Mihitaryan School and Convent
Foundation.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Aram AteÅ?yan, the deputy patriarch of the
Armenian Patriarchate based in Istanbul, politely refused to deliver
an opinion to Daily Sabah, while noting that he hoped the wounds will
be healed. "Much to my regret, I must inform you that neither the
patriarchate nor the related foundations make comments on the 1915
incidents. I express sorrow on not being able to lend assistance," he
said in a statement.
http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2014/11/01/turkey-repeats-call-for-expert-help-to-analyze-events-of-1915
From: A. Papazian